San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-14
The Three Strangers.
BY THOMAS HARDY.

80 rolling years, had recklessly handed
new crOwn-piece to the musicians, as
bride to keep going as long as they
had muscle and wind. Mrs. Fennel
seeing the steam begin to generate on
the cOuntenances of her guests, crossed
over and touched the fddler's elbow,
and put her hand on the serpents's
mouth. But they took no notice, and
fearing she might lose her character of
genial hostess If she were to interfere
too markedly, she retired and sat down
helpless. And so the dance whiZZed on
with cumulative fury, the performers
moving in their planet-like courses,
direct and retrOgrade, from apOgee TO
perigee, till the hand of the well-kicked
clock at the bottom Of the room had
Travelled over the circumference of an
hour.
While these cheerful events were in
course of enactment within Fennel's
pastoral dwelling, an incident having
considerable bearing on the party had
occurred in the gloomy night without.
Mrs. Fennel's concern about the grow
ing fierceness of the dance cOrresponded
i'm point of time with the ascent of
human figure to the solitary hill of
Higher Crowstairs from the direction
of the distant town. This parsonage
strobe ON through the rain without a
pause, following the little-worn path
which, further on in its course, skirted
the shepherds cottage.
1t was nearly the time Of full moon,
and on this account, though the sky
was lined with Uniform sheet of drip
ping cloud, ordinary objects out of
doors were readily visible. The sad,
wan light revealed the lonely pedestrian
to be man of supple frame; his gait
suggested that he had somewhat pass
ed the period of perfect and instructive
agility, though not so far as to be other
wise than rapid of motion when occa-
sion required. In point of fact he might
have been about 40 years of age. He
appeared tall, but arecruiting sergeant,
or other person accustomed to the judy
ing of mems height by the eye, would
have discerned that he was not more
than five feet eight or nine.
Notwithstanding the regularity Of his
tread, there was caution In it, as in that
of one who mentally feels his way; and
despite the fact that it was not black
coat nor a dark garment of any sort
that he wore, there was something
about him which suggested that he
naturally belonged to the black-coated
tribes of men. His clothes were of
fustian, and his boots hobnailed, yet in
progress he showed not the mud-accus-
toned bearing Of hobnailed and fustian
peasantry.
BY the time that he had arrived
abreast of the shepherds premises the
rain came down, or rather came along,
with yet more determined violence. The
outskirts of the little homestead partial
ly broke the force of the wind and rain,
and this induced him to stand still.
The most salient Of the shepherds do
nestle erectiOns was an empty Stye at
the forward corner of his hedgeless gar
den, for in these ATTITUDES the principle
of masking the hOmlier features of your
establishment by conventional 'front.'
age was unknown. Die travellers eye
was attracted to this small building by
the pallid shine of the wet states that
covered it. He turned aside, and, find
ing it empty, stood under the pent roof
for shelter.
While he stood, the boom of the ser
pent within, and the lesser strains of
the fiddler, reached the spot as an &C
compartment to the surging hiss of the
flying rain on the sod, its louder beating
ON the cabbageleaves of the garden, on
BILE by the path, and its dripping from
the caves into a row of buckets and
pans that had been placed under the
walls of the cottage. For at Higher
Crowstairs, as at all such elevated dOmi-
Giles, the grand difficulty of housekeep-
ing was an inSufficiency of water; and
a casual rainfall was utilized by turn
ing out as eatchers, every utensil that
the house contained. Some queer stories
might be told of the contrivances for
economy in suds and dishwaters that
are absolutely necessitated in upland
habitations during the droughts of sum-
mer. But at this season there were no
such exigencies; mere acceptance of
what the skies bestowed was sufficient
for an abundant store.
AT last the notes of the serpent ceas-
ed and the house was silent. This ces-
sation of activity aroused the solitary
pedestrian from the reverie into which
he had lapsed, and emerging from the
shed, with an apparently new intention,
he walked up the path to the house
door, Arrived here, his first act was to
meel down on large stone beside the
row of vessels, and to drink cOpiOus
draught from one of them. Having
quenched his thirst, he rose and lifted
his hand to knock, but paused with his
eve upon the panel. Since the dark sur
face of the wood revealed absolutely
nothing, it was evident that he must be
mentally looking through the door, as
if he wished to measure thereby all the
possibilities that a house of this sort
might include, and how they might bear
upon the question of his entry.
In his indecision he turned and sur
veyed the scene around. Not soul was
anywhere visible. The garden path
stretched downward from his feet,
cleaning like the track of a small snail;
the roof of the little well mostly dry, the
well cover, the top rail of the garden
gate, were vanished with the same dull
liquid glaze; far away in the vale, a
faint wilderness gilmore than usual eX-
tent showed that the rivers were high
in the meads. Beyond all this winked
a few bleared lamplights through the
beating drops, lights that denoted the
situation of the country town from
which he had appeared to come: The
absence of all notes Of life in that d.
rection seemed to clinch his intentions,
and he knocked at the door.
Within desolatOry chat had taken
the place of movement and musical
sound. The hedge-earpenter was sug-
costing song to the company, which
no one just then was inclined to under
take, so that the knock afforded not
unwelcome diversion.
walk in, !" said the shepherd prompt
ly.
The latch clicked upward, and out of
the night our pedestrian appeared upon
the door-mat. The shepherd arose,
snuffed two of the nearest candles, and
turned to look at him.
Their LIGHT disclosed that the stranger